Harry's Old Place Has a Huge Following

Wednesday

Apr 3, 2013 at 5:10 PM

By ERIC PERA THE LEDGER

Harry's Old Place on tiny Lake Ned combines whimsical decor with a menu that looks to the sea for inspiration.It's a formula that keeps fans coming back to this established Winter Haven dining destination in droves, making for especially long waits at times, as reservations are not accepted.Unfortunately, Harry's is a victim of its own popularity. I'm still puzzling over the throngs, waiting patiently for a Saturday-night table, only to be assailed by sloppy service and mediocre fare.An evening at Harry's can be a delight, or a dud, depending on your timing. Midweek things get less frenetic. Service is relaxed. Food, much of it very good, arrives swiftly and cooked as ordered.But when things get frenetic, communication between kitchen and front of the house staff can go awry. Your dinner may arrive before the salad. And you won't get your salad until you quiz the blur of a server.A plate of charbroiled salmon spiked with a sauce of cilantro and green peppercorn conjured great expectations. To my dismay, the kitchen returned a sullen dish of steamed salmon devoid of any spice or embellishment, or taste.There were more gaffes to come.Busy or not, the kitchen produced a surprisingly lackluster special, a rather promising riff on shrimp and grits, substituting scallops for the crustaceans. I enjoyed the creative approach, especially with the grits, presented as small, fried timbales, crunchy on the outside and creamy within.However, the kitchen can use a primer on scallops, which to my mind should be sweet, and seared, with a hint of caramelizing to heighten the mollusk's light flavor. Instead, the scallops came steamed, and utterly tasteless, sitting in a puddle of sauce billed as mango, but tasting of anything but.The trio of owners — Bruce and Ginny Johnston and Harry Bell — have enjoyed great success over the years. One wonders if their loyal followers have become inured to the missteps.Harry's off-the-beaten-path locale means it depends mostly on repeat customers, who evidently know that good, even great, seafood, can be had.Seafood chowder is a dreamy, creamy melange of tidbits from the sea — shrimp, scallops, clams and assorted piscatorial offerings. And the deviled crab balls are to die for, crunchy puffs of sweet, spiced crab that can be dredged in a zippy, Key lime and honey sauce that I'm told doubles as salad dressing.Another starter that hit the spot featured a dish of crisp, fried duck fingers, $5.95, accompanied by a sweet, Asian-inspired dipping sauce.The restaurant is cozy, decked in dark wood, stained glass and nautical bric-a-brac with an occasional nod to Christmas. Kids should delight in spying Santa making an unusual getaway.A tiny bar features limited seating, but there is an ample wine list to select from, along with a decent selection of beer.Even on a slow night the pace is brisk, but the kitchen is on better footing, producing platters of superb, fried seafood, golden and crunchy without a trace of oil.The $18.95 combination platter offered a stunning mix of fish filets, shrimp, clam strips, scallops and oysters, along with a tasty, chunky house-made remoulade.A grouper sandwich, blackened, arrived as ordered on a fresh bun stacked with a slice of ripe tomato and tender lettuce. The sandwich platter, $10.95, also comes with some of the best shoestring fries around, a delicious cabbage slaw, and pickle.I heartily endorse finishing your meal with the Key lime pie, Harry's version a light, feathery fold of lime curd and whipped cream, frozen and partially thawed.During an Oct. 23 inspection, the restaurant was cited for seven violations, only two of which were critical, including slime in the ice machine and improper use of a hand-washing sink.It's hard to argue with a restaurant that affords waits of 40 minutes or more on weekends. But Harry's is best when crowds are thin.